Picking table for pea viners and cleaners and the like



June 23, 1925. 1,543,411

I\.(:. VVI1"TI(5 PICKIflG TABLE FOR PEA VINERS AND CLEANERS AND THE LIKE Filed Feb. 16, 1925 Patented June 23, 1925. V I

PATENT OFFICE.

UNITED STATES ALVIN o. wr'rrre, or HARTFORD, WISCONSIN.

PICKING TABLE FOR PEA VINERS AND CLEANERS AND THE LIKE.

Application filed February 16, 1925. Serial No. 9,556.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALVIN G. VVITTIG, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Hartford, in the county of WVashington and State of Visconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pick-' ing Tables for Pea Viners and Cleaners and the like; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

This invention relates to a picking table or cleaning table construction, and is particularly directed to means for cleaning the traveling belt. However, although the device is eminently satisfactory for this pur-" pose, it is to be understood that it may be employed for cleaning belts in other machines than the one specifically disclosed.

In pea cleaning or pea picking devices, difficulty has been experienced, due to the clogging up of the belt, and the means, as heretofore constructed, of maintaining the belt in a clean condition were not effective in the operation of this type of machinery. This invention is designed to overcome the above noted defects, and objects of such invention are to provide a cleaning device for a traveling belt, which is adapted to wash and brush the belt clean, and in'addition thereo, which will. positively remove any adhering matter that may be left by the brush mechanism, so as to maintain the belt at all times in a highly effective con dition.

Further objects are to providea cleaning device for traveling belts, which may be ap-' plied to standard types of machines with a minimum of alteration, which will adapt itself to the exact conditions existing, which may be adjusted to applythe requisite force to the scraping mechanism, and which is so constructed that the belt, as well as the scraping mechanism, are yieldingly held in intimate contact with each otherin anadjustable manner.

An embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic illustration of a pea cleaning machine showing the apparatus in position.

Figure 2 is a view of the adjusting and guiding mechanism, partly in section and removed from the machine.

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary, sectional view of the guiding and adjusting mechanism and, associated parts.

Referring to the drawings, it will be seen that a traveling belt 1 is mounted in an inclined manner upon an upper roller 2 and a lower roller 3 and that a hopper is positioned above the belt. The upper and lower rollers and the hopper are carried by the vertical uprights 5. 6, and 7, respectively, in the usual manner.

A transverse header 8 is provided with either an elongated-slot, or a plurality of small apertures adapted to project a spray of water upon the under upper side of the belt, as shown in Figure 1. Preferably this header is supported from a pipe 9 secured to the upright 5, although obviously the particular form of support may be varied as found most expedient. Immediately behind the spray a rotating bru'shlO is positioned and the drive shaft is carried by suitable bearings secured to the appropriate upright, for example, the upright 7. Preferably an enclosing hopper or collector 11 partially surroundsthe brush and upper end of the 'belt and connects witha discharge pipe 12 to carry away the liquid and refuse.

Immediately behind the brush a scraping knife 13 is positioned in contact with the under side of the belt Above the knife a pressure roller 14: is positioned and is located on the upper side of the bottom stretch of the belt. This pressure roller holds the belt in'yielding contact with the knife and insures efiective scraping and cleaning action at all times. I v

Means are provided for yieldingly holding the roller and knife in correct position. This means may comprise a pair of oval shaped, or elongated, guides 15, secured to the uprights 7, it being understood that a pair of these uprights are provided in the usual machines of this type.' These oval guides 15 are provided with inwardly directed parallelly spaced flanges 16 which form a passage way between them, and preferably the guides are apertured to receive the attaching bolts 17 which pass into the uprights 7. r j V A pair of blocks 18 are provided at opposite ends of the roller and provide bearings for the trunnions 19 of such rollers. The blocks 18 are provided with a projecting portion 20 which has parallel faces contacting with the inner edges of the flanges 16 and freely movable upwardly or downwardly between such flanges. Each block 18 is provided with a threaded aperture 21 the belt at all times.

into which the threaded bolt 22 extends. This bolt is provided with an integral collar 23 upon which a helical spring 24 rests. The upper end of this spring bears against the upper portion of the guide 15. It is to be noted that the upper end of the screw or bolt 23 projects freely through the guide 15 and is free to move under the influence of the spring 24. Thus the springs 24 yieldingly press the roller 14 downwardly into contact with the belt. If desired to increase this pressure it is merely necessary to rotate the screws 22 and thus alter the tension of the compression springs 24.

A pair of slides or blocks 25 are provided and are positioned in the lower portion of the guides 15 in a manner similar to the blocks 18. These blocks 25 are provided with a squared opening which receives the similarly shaped projecting portion 26 of a transverse bar 27. This bar is equipped with upwardly extending brackets or clips 28 which carry the clamping bolts 29 for the knife. These bolts pass through elongated slots 30 formed in the knife and thus permit the initial adjustment of the knife to secure the exact alinement of the knife with the belt. The blocks 25 are provided with threaded apertures 31 into which the bolts or screws 32 are screwed. These bolts are constructed as described for the bolts 22that is they are provided with integral collars 33 and freely slide through apertures in the guides 15. ,Helioal springs 34 loosely surround the bolts and yieldingly press the blocks upwardly.

In operation the material, such as the peas for instance, is fed from the hopper upon the belt 1 and the machine functions in its usual manner in this respect. Any adhering dirt or trash is moistened by the spray from the header 8 and the loose portions thereof are brushed off by the rotary brush 10. Any adhering material, however, is scraped off by the knife 13 as the belt travels over such knife. The pressure roller 14 prevents the rising of the belt from the knife and insures intimate contact between the knife and Further the exact degree of pressure is yieldingly furnished the knife and the roller by means of the springs 24 and 34. Obviously, if it is found that material of a very tenacious gluey nature is deposited upon the belt, tension of the springs may be increased by the adjust- -in operation, which may be applied to standard types of machines with a minimum of alteration, and which may be readily adjusted to the particular needs of the machine.

Although the invention has been described in considerable detail, it is to be understood that the invention may be variously embodied and is, there-fore, to be limited only as claimed.

I claim 1. The combination of a traveling belt, means for spraying liquid against the under side of said belt, a rotary brush positioned rearwardly of said means, means engaging the under side of said belt, a scraping blade mounted rearwardly of said brush and below said belt, adjustable means for yieldingly pressing said knife into engagement with said belt, a roller mounted above said knife, and adjustable means for yieldingly pressing said roller downwardly into con tact with said belt to hold said belt in engagement with said knife.

2. In a machine having a traveling belt adapted to receive material and having spaced uprights, the combination of a pair of elongated guides secured to said uprights, a pair of bearing blocks carried in each of said guides, a roller revolubly carried by certain of said blocks and mounted above the lower stretch of said belt, a knife carried by the remaining blocks and mounted below the lower stretch of said belt, springs interposed between said guides and said blocks for pressing said blocks towards each other in each of said slides, and adjusting screw means for varying the pressure of said springs, whereby said knife and said roller yieldingly press the belt between them to cause, said knife to effectively scrape said belt.

In testimony that I claim they foregoing I- have hereunto set my hand at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of lVisconsin.

ALVIN C. VVITTIG. 

